Posted by: Jack Mankin (MrBatspeed@aol.com) on Sat Jan 19 13:03:29 2008

Hi Teacherman

In your rely to Truism or Fallacy, you state the following.

"As long as you keep looking for what doesn't exist....shoulder rotation....and how weight shift can power that.....you will continue to make false conclusions."

"Those who understand how the weight shift from back to front at "go".....not before.....at the same time as handle torque and at the same time as forearm rotation, and at the same time as lateral tilt of the shoulders.....will appreciate how all of these blend into one move.....each bringing a little to the table.....resulting in the cusp."

I am addressing your statements regarding Shoulder Rotation in a new thread because of the change in subject matter from "Weight Shift - Truism or Fallacy," to Shoulder Rotation.

You, and many others that frequent your site, have posted on this board that shoulder rotation is not a factor in a high level swing. They contend that since the shoulders do not rotate parallel with the ground, it is shoulder "tilt" rather than shoulder "rotation" that powers the swing.

This is a false conclusion. This site has never proclaimed the shoulders rotate about a horizontal axis. We have always maintained that the shoulders rotate about a tilted axis that is in-line with the swing plane. The tilt in the axis of most high level swings occurs as the batter sets his launch position - well before the bat begins to accelerate rearward.

Therefore, it is you that "will continue to make false conclusions" by claiming it is the tilting of the shoulders rather than rotation that powers the swing. As the clip below illustrates -- (1) The tilting of the axis occurs before PLT and THT accelerates the bat rearward. (2) The shoulders are rotating about a tilted axis that matches the plane of the swing. (3) The hands remain back until shoulder rotation swings them around a tilted swing plane.

Bonds rotation about tilted axis

Jack Mankin